Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell is about our perceptions of success and genius. Gladwell’s take on the classic nature vs nurture argument, is that nurture wins. We have a way of looking at success stories and marvel at how some exceptional people were able to accomplish what they did, but really, they were merely products of … Read more
Blue Ocean Strategy is a book that argues for a better strategy in business, finding uncontested space rather than join the fierce competition that already exists. When a market is crowded, products become like commodities – they lose value and it becomes difficult to stand out. If you want to join the competition, you will be … Read more
Law 14: Pose as a Friend, Work as a Spy It is critical to know your enemy. Joseph Duveen was the greatest art dealer in the first half of the 20th century. He monopolized the millionaire art-collecting market. But one millionaire eluded him, Andrew Mellon. Duveen was determined to make Mellon a client even though … Read more
Honesty can be used as a weapon in the realm of deception. This will especially work against the most suspicious people, for they will never see honesty coming. In 1926, Count Victor Lustig paid a visit to the most feared gangster of his time, Al Capone. Lustig tells Capone that he can double his money, … Read more
“All animals are equal, but some are more equal than others” Animal farm by George Orwell is a story about communism. The animals represented the workers who toiled all day, with the humans their capitalistic overlords, living from the fruits of the animals’ labor without giving them fair compensation. To make things worse, Mr. Jones was … Read more
Jung departed from Freud’s theories about the unconscious because he believed that the unconscious contents of the psyche consisted of inherited knowledge of archetypes, in addition to contents that were derived from the individual’s conscious life. In Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, Jung explains the reasons for his departure, and gives us a detailed discussion … Read more
Jung credited Freud for his discoveries in the field of neurosis but he was not without criticism for his former tutor. In Jung’s view, Freud cleared a lot of ground for future psychologists, but only as far as basic physiological concepts permitted. Psychology was viewed by Freud as an offshoot of the physiology of the … Read more
The Shadow True, whoever looks into the mirror of the water will see first of all his own face. Whoever goes to himself risks a confrontation with himself. The mirror does not flatter, it faithfully shows whatever looks into it; namely, the face we never show to the world because we cover it with the … Read more
The Collective Unconscious Your mind is made up of your conscious self and the unconscious. Your unconscious influences your thoughts and behavior without your conscious consent, it is the hand behind the curtain. But what is the unconscious? Jung diverged from the materialistic and restricted definition of unconsciousness that was the consensus among psychologists. He … Read more
The more you are needed by people, the more freedom and independence you have. In the Middle Ages, a mercenary soldier (condottiere) save the Italian town Siena from a foreign enemy. The citizens of Siena wanted to honor the soldier but could not think of an appropriate way. They thought of making him the ruler … Read more